Improvement in hydrocarbon-furnaces



H. M. SMITH.

HYDROCARBON FURNACE. No.170,198, Patented Nov. 23, 1875.

F'IGLZ.

Witnesses: Inventor r' {2 f; .Ml nu/tei 54 v/ we N.PETERS,PHOTQ-LITHDGRAPMER, WASHINGTON, I) (2y UNITED ST TE PATENT CFFICE.

HORATIO M. SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILL.,

ASSIGNOR or rwo-trrunns Hrs RIGHT TO MOSES W.- LESTER ANDFRANKLIN'LESTER, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HYDLROCARBON-FURNACES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l"70,l98, datedNovember 23, 1875 application filed April 1, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORATIO M. SMITH, of

- Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain Improvements in Furnaces for Burning Liquid Fuel, of which thefollowing is a specification:

This invention relates to an apparatus which may be applied to or usedin conjunction with 7 any ordinary furnace for burning coal-oil and i ofthis specification, Figure 1 is a side view of a locomotive-enginefire-box, fitted with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of aportion of the same upon a larger comparative scale.

Like letters in said figures indicate like parts.

A short distance above the grate-surface I pierce any ordinarycoal-burning furnace or fire-box with one or morepreferablyseveralapertures, a, filling them with thimbles b of refractorymaterial, which'extend a little way into the combustion'chamber. In caseof a locomotive, which is the instance illustrated in the drawing, Imake the apertures a by inserting a hollow cylinder, a, through thedouble wall, within which is placed the refractory air-tube or thimbleb. At some convenient place-on the tender, in the case of alocomotive-is placed a tank, B, suitable for holding the liquid fuel.From this tank a close tube or tubes, 0, conveys the liquid fuel toshort discharge-tubes d, which branch off from the main tube 0 at eachaperture a, and enter centrally the thimbles b. Being much less indiameter than said thimbles, an ample airspace is left surrounding. Toavoid the destructive effect of the excessive heat, and to procure abetter vaporizing action, the tubes at are caused to terminate a littledistance short of the inner mouth of the thimble. A dead plate, E, atthe furnace side, at a level with the grate-bars F, is placed below theembouchure of the tubes, to check any drip of oil which may take place,and to create a slight change in the draft at this point. The apparatus,consisting of the tubes for oil, surrounded eachby an ample air-thimble,is located so near the grate-surface, as shown, that when an ordinarycharge of coal or coke shall be below the surface of the solid fuel, orat least upon a level therewith. This feature is very important, as uponthe heat generated by the bed of fuel I depend for the vaporization ofthe liquid fuel.

The operation is briefly as follows: The furnace being ignited, ischarged with fuel, preferably coke, to a point above the mouths ofthimbles b. The oil is now admitted into short tubes from the tank, inany desired regulated quantity, by turning the cock G. The heat of thethimble, and the fuel near it, and at the branch or short pipes 01,converts the liquid into a vapor, which, by the draft, is drawn into thebed of incandescent fuel, together with the unoccupied annular space ofthe thimble. A thorough combustion of the liquid fuel is thus caused.

The bed of coke will burn, under these circumstances, a long timewithout being consumed, as the hydrocarbon gas generated by thevaporization of the oil seems to seize the oxygen entering through thethimbles and grate more eagerly than the coke does, thus ing through it.

Goal may be used in the same manner as coke, and with good effect, butnot with so good effect as coke. Coal and coke may be mingled together,and burned in connection with oil in this way or coal and brickbats maybe employed, in which case the brickbats, after becoming heated, remainso by reason of the oil-fire, and serve to vaporize the liquid fuel 5or, in lieu of brickbats or broken bricks, a large number of refractoryballs may be placed in the furnace and heated at first by a coal-fire,and afterward by the oil.

The chief point to be kept in mind with the various expedientsmentioned, is tq keep the is placed upon the bars the ends of the tubesa supply of air, which latter enters through retarding the consumptionof the latter while, nevertheless, the very hottest of fires is rag- I'and any ordinary 2' wales mouths of the tubes surrounded by the fuel orheated substitutes. For this purpose said tubes are placed lowd0wn,'near the grate, charge will, therefore, accomplish the object.

'lhe tubes may be located at both sides of the furnace, as shown in thedrawing, or they may be in front and at the rear, or on all sides, andof any number desired, preserving the conditions herein beforespecified. It is better that there should, however, be a number of tubesrather than a single one, as the flame within the chamber, beingthus-spread over a larger space, is more uniform, and a greater heat maybe obtained by the more rapid combustion;

The apparatus is very simple and efficient,

and may, as will be readily'understood, be

easily, and at slight expense, applied to any of the ordinary kinds offurnace Having thus described my invention, that which I claim as new,and desire to secure HORATIO M. SMITH.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. MUNDAY, EDW KS. EVARTS.

